There has been so much noise from all and sundry about Richard Allen Davis, in Pakistan that it is beyond deafening. Almost every media, electronic, print or audio visual has weighed in on his fate. One wonders even though the matter is sub judicious, is it really by now?
Life is strange in our Pakistan. The honour of the entire country is hanging on the shoulders of the US Embassy employee or consultant (There are conflicting reports about his status so one has to tread with caution).
Here in the US, there are no marches, no protests, no howling, no chest thumping going on for his immediate release. No effigies of President Zardari being burnt, no Pakistani flag being desecrated and nor the Paksitani restaurants or stores paying the price as retribution for his incarceration at Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.
On our end, we have the usual howls, screams, protests, the channel talk show wars, the political leaders and their views causing a never ending stir in the ever melting national pot. It seems like everything in Pakistan is at a stand still. Everyone is watching this with a bated breath. If the accused is convicted and tried and perhaps awarded the harshest sentence, only then Pakistan's dignity and honour will be restored.
The ever fragile and spine less "liberal government", is impacted by the usual broo haha at every level. The President to the Prime Minister are cautiously looking towards the court to weigh in. There are differences within the rank and file of various faces of the government. This has added more fuel to the fire.
What our overly charged crowd as always tends to disregard as usual, is the element of pre meditation. Was this a conspiracy that some within our so well informed TV anchors are hell bent upon making or was it an accident? As this scribe had indicated earlier, and endorsed by some other compatriots here at PTH, US Embassy personnel do not appear to be trigger happy cowboys when in Pakistan. What benefit could Davis gain by killing the two individuals on a whim, as a lot of our emotionally charged crowd wants us to believe?
Senator Kerry's visit to Pakistan and President Obama's press conference demanding the release of Davis, of course have not made much of ripples in the general public opinion. The PM Gilani's request to the clerics to find a solution through religious law of "Qisas" and compensation of victims is logical, however the laws are fairly clear in the Holy Book. All it does is, widen the credibility gap between the so called the government and the mighty clerics. The idea of making the clerics the supreme authority in religious laws, which are fairly plain and simple is mind boggling.
One of the leading English Daily has produced a document of Davis's compensation to establish that he was an employee. This scribe's opinion about the issue is known and it will not be repeated here. However, the document produced by the Daily only establishes the compensation breakdown of $200,000 per year. It establishes only one thing that Davis was a contractor. The employees of US Government have a paycheck with appropriate deductions on the payroll statement. The US Government typically is on a bi-weekly pay cycle for its hourly employees. (This is scribe's personal and professional opinion, which of course may alter, if any other corroborating information is provided, which proves his employee status).
This whole episode has shifted the focus from the clear and thorny issue of a truly cold blooded murderer, Qadri. Who confessed to the murder of Late Governor Taseer with the element of pre-meditation. In the meantime, we have Qadri's fans gathering outside Rawalpindi Jail to wish him, Happy Valentine's Day with flowers and cards. Admitting that Valentine Day is not a Muslim celebration, these fans are touched by his love for our Holy Prophet. This in short tells us how blind we are in our emotions. Any rhyme or reasoning sure a'int gonna work.
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